Thomas de Dundee

Thomas de Dundee, also called Thomas Nicholay, was a Scottish prelate who held the bishopric of Ross during the First War of Scottish Independence. Coming from a family of Dundee burgesses, he was educated as the University of Bologna, before entering into career in the church.

He obtained benefices in the diocese of Glasgow and the diocese of Brechin, as well as in Ross, and served as the chaplain to a cardinal before being appointed Bishop of Ross by papal provision in 1295. After some delay, he was able to take up his position and held it until his death in early 1325.

Biography

Family background Thomas was the son of a burgess of Dundee named Nicholas. Detailed knowledge of Thomas' father is lacking, but one "Nicholas son of Robert" is found as a burgess of Dundee in a Lindores Abbey document dated between 1237 and 1243.

Early career Documents dating to 18 February and 24 April 1293, have Thomas as Subdean of Glasgow Cathedral. On the former date he was at Scone acting as proctor for the cathedral chapter of Glasgow at an arbitration conducted by Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow. Thomas had this role because the dean, Thomas Wishart, was absent, having travelled to Bologna.

In 1295 he is found at the papal court acting as the commensalis ("table companion") and chaplain of Cardinal Hugh Aycelin (Hugh Seguin), the Dominican Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia. Hugh was probably making use of Dundee's training as a lawyer.

Election and appointment as Bishop of Ross

It is possible that Thomas was still at the papal court when the cathedral chapter of the diocese of Ross were carrying out their elections for the successor of Robert de Fyvie. Two separate elections took place in the period between 17 November 1292 and 18 November 1295, and it appears that the chapter elected both the cathedral precentor, Adam de Darlington, as well as Thomas de Dundee, who then held a canonry in the diocese.

Both Adam de Darlington and Thomas de Dundee resigned their rights to this episcopal see, but nevertheless Cardinal Hugh Aycelin used his influence to secure Thomas papal provision as bishop on 18 November. In the following year Adam de Darlington was compensated by being appointed Bishop of Caithness, the bishopric which adjoined Ross to the north.

Perhaps because of the political troubles in Scotland at the time, there is a two-year gap between Thomas receiving provision to the see and gaining its "temporalities", i.e. gaining actual possession of the office. Scotland's king, John de Balliol, had been in a conflict of authority with the King of the English, who deposed King John in 1296. It was not until 31 July 1297 that the temporalities of the see were released to Thomas by King Edward I of England, probably after a meeting between Thomas and King Edward at London.

Episcopate

Thomas had taken up his diocese in Scotland by 17 August 1298. In the first few years of the 14th century Thomas witnessed three charters of Coupar Angus Abbey in the company of Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, a known opponent of the English crown.

He witnessed another charter relating to that abbey, between 1300 and 1302, by John de Soules, who issued it as Guardian of Scotland acting in King John Balliol's name.